The Quark Soup
by Anthony Badea figures by Anastasia Ershova Long before our world took shape, The Big Bang sent a shockwave of energy irradiating through a violently expanding Universe. In one millionth of a millionth of a second, the primordial fabric of existence transitioned through three distinct phases as the four fundamental forces, electromagnetism, gravity, and the weak and strong forces, took shape. At this point temperatures … Continue reading The Quark Soup
Ice Cores and Roman Lore: Modern climate science helps scientists and historians piece together the past
by Lorena Lyon figures by Rebecca Senft Today, the discussion of climate change generally relates to human impact on the environment since the Industrial Revolution (1760 to mid-1800s). But, how have humans been impacting the planet before then? And how can we find out? It turns out a type of climate science using something called ice cores can give us detailed information on how past … Continue reading Ice Cores and Roman Lore: Modern climate science helps scientists and historians piece together the past
Superbug Treatments Live in the Dirt
by Gregory Brunette figures by Daniel Utter Every year, new biology students dig for tiny, bacteria-infecting viruses called phages. Short for bacteriophages, these ubiquitous viruses thrive unseen in the world around us, replicating endlessly through their host bacteria. Phages outnumber all other living organisms on Earth; and their overwhelming diversity presents a challenge to the researchers who study them. In a program administered by Dr. … Continue reading Superbug Treatments Live in the Dirt
Nuclear Conflict Could Alter the Conditions of Our Oceans
In the event of worst-case nuclear war fallout, what would happen to our oceans? Climate scientists predict that our oceans would become less acidic, and shelled animals would suffer (again). Continue reading Nuclear Conflict Could Alter the Conditions of Our Oceans
It’s Alive!: A Living Smart Material
Bioengineers from the University of Texas at Dallas have developed a new form of composite material by incorporating yeast into a gel. They demonstrated that the composite can change size depending on the nutrients present around the gel and that different shapes can be formed by genetically manipulating the yeast. Continue reading It’s Alive!: A Living Smart Material
Why Drugs Tested in Mice Fail in Human Clinical Trials
by Sam Zimmerman figures by Hannah Zucker If we were all mice, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, diabetes, and most inherited disorders would be a thing of the past. We could nibble on as much cheese as we wanted without fear of heart disease and run around our favorite wheel for hours on end without knee pain because all these ailments have been cured in mice. Unfortunately, … Continue reading Why Drugs Tested in Mice Fail in Human Clinical Trials
Could we replace exercise with protein supplements?
Scientists discovered that a family of proteins known as Sestrins can actually mimic the beneficial effects of exercise. This could potentially be useful for maintaining the health of people who have difficulty moving and exercising. Continue reading Could we replace exercise with protein supplements?
Water on Mars Was Similar To Water on Earth
Curiosity rover’s analysis of rocks on Mars suggests that ancient water on the red planet would have been suitable for supporting life. Continue reading Water on Mars Was Similar To Water on Earth
Listen Closely: Coral reefs are losing their sound
by Samantha Tracy figures by Sean Wilson A solo diver dips under the surface of crashing waves to reveal a plethora of attention-grabbing colors in astounding brightness. The image of a coral reef is exciting and overwhelming for the human brain, but another world comes to life when we close our eyes. A cascading orchestra of gentle bubbling, a faint crackling chorus of snapping shrimp, … Continue reading Listen Closely: Coral reefs are losing their sound
Scientists engineer ingestible medical devices that can be degraded with light
Scientists engineer a light-sensitive material that can be used to create ingestible medical devices. These devices can then be easily degraded after their function has been performed. Continue reading Scientists engineer ingestible medical devices that can be degraded with light